Thunderstorms hit NH; tornado warning for Rockingham County expires

Several Seacoast communities suffered downed trees and power lines after a strong series of storms made their way through the state on Thursday night.

The storm also forced a tornado warning for Rockingham County, which expired Thursday afternoon.

Utilities reported thousands of power outages in the Exeter and Portsmouth area in the immediate aftermath of the storm cell that prompted the tornado warning, which was issued after 4:15 p.m. Thursday and expired at 4:45 p.m.

Stratham resident Bill Doyle caught some of the worst of the storm, losing power along with his neighbors on Union Road around 4:30 p.m.

"My wife is inside because she can't cook dinner," he said.

The fire department said they saw large hail at the station.

"It was good sized - at least a quarter to a half-dollar sized," said Lt. Tim Slager.

There were no confirmed reports of a funnel cloud or tornado touching down.

Meanwhile, a severe thunderstorm watch for all of New Hampshire is in effect until 10 p.m.

The main threat from the storms would be hail, lightning, gusty winds and locally heavy downpours that could cause flooding issues. A flash flood watch was also in place for most of the state Thursday.

Lingering thunder showers are possible on Friday, and as Hurricane Arthur makes its closest pass by New England late Friday night into early Saturday morning, more rain is possible in southern areas.